EVENT: Master Chef Challenge at Waters Crest Winery

With his Master Chef Challenge, owner Jim Waters has found a way to pair Long Island culinary talent with his own brand of local wine — and attract new people to his winery.

“It’s fun, we get to interact with customers and meet new people,” he said. “We just want to have a good time and taste the food with the wine.”

The second-annual Master Chef Challenge will take place this coming Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Cutchogue winery. This year, chef Tom Fazio, chef at The Kitchen and Waterside Caterers in Northport, will take on chef Lia Stanco Fallon, executive chef and owner of Amarelle in Wading River. The panel of judges include local wine guru Pascal Zugmeyer, winemaker Kelly Urbanik, and North Fork Patch editor

Waters said on Wednesday afternoon that about 30 people have already made their $40 reservation and he has room for about 10 more people for the Saturday event, which will feature new white wines and library reds from Waters Crest with the dishes from the challengers.

This is the second year in a row that Waters has held the challenge, but he has featured work from various chefs like Tom Schaudel of in Mattituck, Noah Schwartz of in Greenport, and Gerry Hayden of the in Southold.

“The challenge is a lot of fun though and brings many new people to the region,” he said.

Who will make the perfect dish to pair with Waters Crest's 2011 Dry Rose? You be the judge — call today for your reservations: 631-734-5065